Preamble Afternoon. We've had only 19.4 overs today because of the predicted rain, with Justin Langer falling to the last delivery of the truncated afternoon session, dragging one on off Stephen Harmison to end a really splendid 105. No time has yet been set for play to resume; when there is, you'll hear it here eighth.

Emails, while you wait "What are you gonna do for the rest of the day if it keeps raining?" asks Ben Reynolds. "Presumably you're contracted to stay at work till about 6pm." The Man does indeed have possession of my cojones until 6pm, so if it rains I'll do what I'm doing now - following United's game on a rival site, listening to some Arcade Fire, and sifting through literally tens of emails.

The nervous 390s A cracking spot from Tim de Lisle, who notes that, rather bizarrely, four batsmen have fallen with their series aggregates in the 390s - Trescothick (398), Flintoff (394), Strauss (392) and now Langer (394). Nobody can quite find it in themselves to become the first man to score 400 runs this summer. All of which means that Ricky Ponting will get between 66 and 75, Michael Clarke between 80 and 89, and Glenn McGrath between 354 and 363.

Play will resume at 3.30pm And, weather permitting, it'll be a three-and-a-half hour session. "I know all about hangovers and self-loathing," says Karen Steele, which is an introduction to get any boy excited. "I have just done an internet search to find out what happened in the new series of The OC last week in the US. And now I'm gutted that I've ruined the suspense. Anyway, let me know if you want to know what happens." Go on then.

54th over: Australia 186-1 (Hayden 70, Ponting 0) England bring Flintoff back into the attack, unsurprisingly, and not much happens. It looks pretty pleasant at The Oval, weather-wise.

55th over: Australia 190-1 (Hayden 74, Ponting 0) Harmison has a bit of a spring in his step at the moment, hitting the bat very hard in that over, but Hayden helps a short one on its way to fine leg for four.

56th over: Australia 192-1 (Hayden 74, Ponting 1) Ponting, starting a little nervously as usual, gets off the mark with a push to midwicket. "Get over that hangover and give us some sparkling prose," says Rob Linham, who seems to have misunderstood this over-by-over arrangement. "I'm in work on a Saturday afternoon confronting an epic in-tray, and in a deserted office you're all that's standing between me and going gently out of my mind."

57th over: Australia 198-1 (Hayden 75, Ponting 6) Ponting gets in a real lather against a well-directed Harmison bouncer, shaping to pull but then just checking his shot in the air through square leg. He gets it bang on later in the over, swivelling smoothly to pull low through midwicket and to the fence.

58th over: Australia 203-1 (Hayden 77, Ponting 9) Giles is surprisingly brought on instead of Flintoff, and Ponting forces him through the covers off the back foot.

59th over: Australia 203-1 (Hayden 77, Ponting 9) Harmison has a biggish shout for lbw turned down against Hayden, who thrust his pad at a ball that was too high and missing off. There was a better shout next ball, but instinct suggested it pitched outside leg. And so it did. United, meanwhile, scored just before half-time through Van Nistelrooy - apparently it was offside and City have been the better team. As I said earlier, moral victories don't interest me at all.

60th over: Australia 211-1 (Hayden 78, Ponting 12) As happy news reaches me of "Biblical" thunderstorms in east London, Hayden fresh-airs a slog-sweep at Geraint Jones and the ball flies over wicketkeeper Paul Collingwood's right shoulder for four byes.

62nd over: Australia 223-1 (Hayden 88, Ponting 13) An urgent call of nature there and looking at the replays it seems Giles should have had Ponting given out caught at silly point. Billy Bowden said no. In the same over, Hayden edged Giles between keeper and slip for four.

63rd over: Australia 226-1 (Hayden 90, Ponting 14) Flintoff on for Harmison, but there's very little happening at the moment - no sign of reverse swing, and even fewer signs of seam movement. "A series win is a series win," says Peter Walton, not unereasonably. "Who cares how it comes now? We have proven ourselves an excellent side no longer in awe of the Aussies."

64th over: Australia 231-1 (Hayden 91, Ponting 18) A marvellous shot from Ponting, who rocks back to belabour a Giles long hop through the covers off the back foot. That was a pretty filthy piece of bowling.

65th over: Australia 241-1 (Hayden 100, Ponting 19) Hayden crunches Flintoff back down the ground for four, and then works four more to long-on to bring up a fighting century, which prompts a grin of almost childlike relief. It's his 21st hundred in Tests, and he must have wondered if it was ever going to come.

Rain stops play! "I still don't rate him," chuckles Cricinfo's Andrew Miller of Hayden, as the rain returns to The Oval and the players dash off. It's absolutely punting it down. "I've got a feeling that he may go on, weather permitting, to get a really big score now," says Chris Hewitt. "How anaemic has our attack been, that we can allow a batsman as chronically out of form as Hayden to get a century? Grr, argh, snarl, etc." Hmm, I reckon that's a bit harsh - I think the seamers have bowled pretty well, and have been unlucky with dropped catches and the odd borderline umpiring decisions. Any dunce's caps should be given to the batsmen.

4.35pm Hear those sweet thunderclaps. Here's Andrew Miller again, reading my mind. "Can someone please tell Mark Nicholas that he is completely and utterly out of tune with what the nation wants. How can rain breaks possibly be a disappointment for the crowds?! This is Channel 4's last Test, and they have a duty to teach the world - once and for all - the true glory of $hitty British weather!"

City have equalised "Ha!" says Matthew Cobb. Yeah.

Rain report "Is now raining so heavily in south London I've got a flood in my back garden," says Simon. "Is not looking good for any more play today."

The covers are off And play will resume at 530.

66th over: Australia 244-1 (Hayden 101, Ponting 21) Right, there are 18 overs left of play tonight. Giles completes his unfinished 15th over; I'd be surprised if he continued in the attack - England will surely bowl Harmison and Flintoff.

67th over: Australia 251-1 (Hayden 104, Ponting 25) It is Stephen Harmison, with just one slip, and Ponting clips him firmly through midwicket for three. Anyone still out there?

68th over: Australia 253-1 (Hayden 104, Ponting 26) Giles does continue from the Vauxhall End; two off an uneventful over.

69th over: Australia 257-1 (Hayden 105, Ponting 29) These two have taken a lot of quick singles in this short passage of play - a deliberately ploy to move the innings up a gear, presumably.

70th over: Australia 258-1 (Hayden 105, Ponting 30) Giles and pals go up for lbw when Hayden misses a slog sweep, but it hit him outside the line. Good decision from umpire Billy Bowden.

71st over: Australia 263-1 (Hayden 105, Ponting 35) Too short from Harmison, and Ponting pulls for four with regal swivel of his. "How do the bookies see this then Mr Smyth?" asks David Booth. Good question. Any bloodsucking bookies out there?

72nd over: Australia 264-1 (Hayden 105, Ponting 36)

WICKET! Australia 264-2 (Ponting c Strauss b Flintoff 36) Andrew Flintoff returns to the attack and strikes straight away. It was a good delivery, popping a little off the pitch, and Strauss at gully took a really good low catch diving forward.

73rd over: Australia 268-2 (Hayden 105, Martyn 4) Damien Martyn gets off the mark with the most delectable off-side push for four, and then Flintoff beats him with a brilliant legcutter. "Bowlers win matches, batsmen lose them," says Jeremy James. "And should England lose, I hate to say it but one or two. English batsmen are going to have some very difficult questions to ask themselves."

76th over: Australia 274-2 (Hayden 108, Martyn 8) Sorrry about that - a few technical problems, I had to crack a few nerdy skulls together - but while we were away Flintoff should have had Martyn caught behind uppercutting to Geraint Jones. Rudi Koertzen said no. Wrongly. "Current best prices on Betfair are approximately: 4/6 Draw, 7/4 Australia, 20-1 England." Cheers to Rory McQueen for that.

77th over: Australia 275-2 (Hayden 109, Martyn 8) One off the over from Giles, who has been pretty impressive in this little passage of player.

Bad light stops play With five overs left, Australia have taken the offer of the light - it is pretty dark out there, the new ball is due, so you can kind of understand this more than yesterday's decision. That will be that for the day. Thanks for your emails - I'll be back tomorrow, but don't let that stop you logging on.